The Three Eyes of the Clans
by cockroach12
Summary: FlowerClan, IceClan, and RuneClan have lived in peace until the FlowerClan leader rapes the medicine cat in an attempt to create kits that have more ties with StarClan than any other Clan. What will happen to the kits as their past is shrouded in mystery?
1. Allegiances

**_FlowerClan-_**

_Leader_- Greenstar: huge black tom with white chest and belly, bright green eyes **Apprentice: Flamepaw**

_Deputy_- Juniperleaf: beautiful ginger tabby with two white paws and yellow chest, green eyes

_Medicine Cat_- Daysight: pale cream colored she-cat, with brown eyes **Apprentice: Swallowpaw**

**Warriors:**

Silentstorm: brown she-cat with darker tabby markings

Krestelwing: golden brown she-cat, brown eyes

Shrewtooth: black tom with white muzzle and white legs, blue eyes **Apprentice: Windpaw**

Bluecloud: silver tabby tom, blue eyes **Apprentice: Yarrowpaw**

Rollingleaf: brown tom with yellow splotches **Apprentice: Tansypaw**

Midnightmoon: beautiful silver she-cat with whit chest, belly and paws, green eyes **Apprentice: Lionpaw**

Shadowgaze: medium furred tom, many shades of gray, black eyes **Apprentice: Tallpaw**

Longsong: white she-cat, green eyes Voleclaw: glossy ginger tom, blue eyes

**Apprentices-**

Flamepaw: dark ginger tom, yellow tabby markings, light green eyes

Lionpaw: light brown tom, brown tabby markings, golden eyes

Windpaw: creamy brown she-cat, light brown eyes

Yarrowpaw: yellow tom, ginger tabby lines on sde of chest, green eyes

Tansypaw: black tom, white circles around eyes and tail tip

Swallowpaw: brown tabby she-cat, brown eyes

Tallpaw: dark gray she-cat, dark blue eyes

**Queens-**

Songdrift: beautiful white she-cat, black neck,chest,underbelly, blue eyes

Bloomspirit: pale ginger she cat, faint ginger tabby marks around head

**Elders-**

Longwater- tan tom, white spots

**_IceClan-_**

_Leader_- Shadestar: calico she-cat, one blue eye and one brown eye

_Deputy_- Hollowwind: dark gray tom, black horizontial stripes on flanks, brown eyes

_Medicine Cat_- Hayclaw: sandy colored she-cat, hazel eyes

**Warriors:**

Silentshadow: white she-cat with brown and black splotches

Riverlegs: blue gray tom, bright green eyes

Nightsky: black tom with tiny white spots, brown eyes

Logclaw: dusty brown tom with black paws

Groundfall: light yellow she-cat with ginger tabby markings **Apprentice: Goldpaw**

Greenspot: white tom with back circles around his eyes and black paws, green eyes **Apprentice: Redpaw**

Yellowpelt: pale yellow tom with dark giger tabby marks on his body and tail, blue eyes

Lakeclaw: gray tom, silver tabby markings on body, blue eyes **Apprentice: Heartpaw**

Loudsong: handsome black tom with white spots on chest and silver spots on tail, green eyes **Apprentice: Coldpaw**

Hailfower: silver she-cat with darker markings, two front paws are white

**Apprentices-**

Goldpaw: light brown tom with amber eyes

Redpaw: ginger tom, white chest and belly, green eyes

Heartpaw: light brown tabby with ginger paws and black tail tip, one amber eye and one brown eye

Coldpaw: white she-cat, silver splotches, light brown eyes

**Queens-**

Sapphirestream: beautiful silver she-cat, black paws with white legs, amber eyes (Tulipkit, Thornkit, Creamkit, Hazelkit)

Shinepelt: dark silver she-cat, light silver lines around her eyes, dark green eyes (Firekit, Pinekit, Ruggedkit, Rougekit)

**Kits-**

Tulipkit: silver she-cat, with paws, legs, chest, and belly, light blue eyes

Thornkit: dark gray tom, silver tabby markings, blue eyes

Creamkit: soft light silver she-cat, black tail tip, dark blue eyes

Hazelkit: gray tom, black paws and legs, dark blue eyes

Firekit: ginger tom, yellow paws, brown eyes

Pinekit: dark ginger she-cat, green eyes

Ruggedkit: dark ginger tom with yellow splotches, blue eyes

Rougekit: dark silver she-cat, dark orange eyes

**Elders-**

Bloomflower: white she-cat, black throat,chest, and belly

Voicecall: pretty brown she-cat

_**RuneClan-**_

_**  
**_Leader- Rainstar: big blue gray tom, white and silver splotches, black spots over body, blue eyes

Deputy- Featherwing: white she-cat, silver specks, green eyes

Medicine Cat- Shellrise: white tom with light cream fur on flanks, brown eyes **Apprentice: Lightpaw**

Warriors:  
Fallingstone: mottled brown tom, white underbelly **Apprentice: Joypaw**

Swiftriver: yellow tabby with darker markings, orange eyes **Apprentice: Emberpaw**

Frostwing: white she-cat with light blue gray stripes **Apprentice: Darkpaw**

Shadowwind: black tom with lighter horizontal marks on flank, brown eyes

Opalclaw: blue gray she-cat, darker flecks on legs, light blue eyes **Apprentice: Swiftpaw**

Risingmoon: beautiful silver tabby, white chest and muzzle, brown eyes

Firelight: ginger tom, white legs, green eyes

Runepelt: light brown tom with darker splotches, black front paw, and light blue eyes **Apprentice: Dappledpaw**

Thistleclaw: golden brown tom, brown eyes **Apprentice: Stormpaw**

**Apprentices-**

Lightpaw: pale cream she-cat, green eyes

Joypaw: light brown tabby she-cat with brown splotches, brown eyes

Emberpaw: black tom, white flame mark with smaller black flame mark, green eyes

Darkpaw: dark gray tom, dark blue eyes

Swiftpaw: dark gray tom with black stripes, blue eyes

Dappledpaw: white she-cat with dapples of brown and black, green eyes

Stormpaw: dark gray tom, amber eyes

**Queens-**

Frostwind: beautiful white she-cat with blue stripes, light blue eyes (Silverkit, Ravenkit, Flowerkit)

Spottedpelt: calico she-cat (Deepkit, Shallowkit, Marshkit, Pondkit, Lakekit, Oceankit, Seakit)

Rosespot: sandy colored she-cat, brown eyes (Haykit, Strawkit, Grasskit, Yellowkit)

**Kits-**

Silverkit: silver she-cat, blue-gray markings, hazel eyes

Ravenkit: black tom, hazel eyes

Flowerkit: cute silver she-cat, dark tabby markings, white chest, golden eyes

Deepkit: black tom, lighter tabby markings

Shallowkit: tortoiseshell she-cat, front paws white, amber eyes

Marshkit: calico she-cat, brown eyes

Pondkit: black tom, lighter splotches, brown eyes

Lakekit: brown tom, darker splotches, brown eyes

Oceankit: gray she-cat, black stripes, green eyes

Seakit: white she-cat, calico patches, green eyes

Haykit: yellow tom, white paws, amber eyes

Strawkit: yellow she-cat, brown stripes, brown eyes

Grasskit: white she-cat, brown stripes, blue eyes

Yellowkit: yellow tabby she-cat, amber eyes

**Elders-**

Tailfall: dust brown tom, yellow eyes


	2. Prologue

Prologue

A huge black tom with a white chest and a belly stepped into the medicine cat's den. His bright green eyes scanned the cave for what he was looking for. Out of the corner a small white she cat with black paws and flecks stepped towards him. Her ice blue eyes looked at him with puzzlement.  
"Is there something you need, Greenstar?" she asked the leader, scanning his body for and wounds.  
" No I was just wondering where you mentor was Swallowpaw," the leader told her.  
"Oh. Well Daysight went out to get some herbs by the Great Caves," Swallowpaw informed him.  
"Thank you for tell me," Greenstar dipped his head respectively to the apprentice and turned to exit the cave. Greenstar looked for the exit hole and found it quickly. He ran through camp, passing his warriors and not bothering to greet them back. Greenstar wriggled out of the camp area and headed towards the Great Caves.  
FlowerClan's camp was hidden underground with many caves that could easily cause the death of a clan member if they were to become lost. Although the camp was underground there were many holes in the ceilings to let air into the camp, and some holes were used as exits if they were low enough. The leader Greenstar took great pride in having the camp in excellent shape as well as its warriors.  
Greenstar started to rush to the Great Caves hopeful to find his medicine cat for personal reasons. When he caught sight of the surface of the cave that dripped stalactites and formed stalagmites, his pulse quickened with excitement. Greenstar slowed down once he felt the moisture in the air that the Great Caves always seemed to emit. He pricked his ears up and ran towards the sound of vegetation being torn. He timed his jump as he saw the pale cream she-cat he had been looking for.  
Greenstar smirked, and then leaped onto the pale she-cat. The she-cat dropped the leaves she had had in her mouth. The leaves drifted to a rock near them slowly as if time had slowed. The she-cat looked at Greenstar with her brown eyes full of surprise and fear.  
"You've been hiding from me lately, Daysight," Greenstar whispered, letting his voice drift into her ears.  
"Th-th-that's because you want me to do something a medicine cat, as myself, shouldn't" Daysight replied in scared voice.  
"But if you don't do as I say you would be defying your leader. And even if you don't want to, you **_will_** have my kits," Greenstar ordered. Then in one quick movement, Greenstar pinned Daysight onto the ground and dove in.  
"No! No! Please stop!" Daysight yowled, but Greenstar placed a big black paw on her maw that muffled her cries for help and pleas to stop. A few minutes later Greenstar got off a weeping Daysight and with a cruel smile said,  
"Let me know when the kits are born."


	3. Chapter 1

Duskkit woke up with a start. He looked around the nursery walls filled with natural cracks that the cave was filled with. Duskkit wondered why he had seen the FlowerClan medicine cat being raped by the leader. He started to think about the dream he had just had but his thoughts drifted as he remembered what was happening today. Duskkit looked at his sister Bluekit, who was smiling as she twitched in her sleep. Duskkit got up and padded outside and into the the middle of the IceClan camp, the damp air clung to his hazy brown fur.  
He looked at the warriors den across from the nursery cave and then the apprentice's den next to the warriors. Duskkit padded in front of the elder's den and looked up to the leader's den at the top of the cavern ridge. The entrance was hidden by snow from Duskkit's position. Duskkit traced the ridge that led from the leader's den to Stonepile at the end of the trail. Stonepile was boulders that had fallen from the top of the cavern long before the clans had been established, and where the leader made important announcements and hel cermonies.  
"That's where I'll be today," Dukkit whispered to himself. He was seven moons old and was more than ready to become an apprentice. Duskkit had had to wait an extra moon because his sister, Bluekit, had run off to another Clan's camp without permission or reason to. Duskkit sighed at the memory of Shadestar giving him the same punishment for not informing her or trying to stop Bluekit. He couldn't wait for his apprentice ceremony.  
"What are you doing out here so early Duskkit?" a sleepy voice asked. Duskkit turned to see Coldpaw and Heartpaw standing behind him. The two she-cats were the same age as him but because of Bluekit they had been apprenticed while he had to wait another moon.  
Duskkit looked at the two she-cats. Coldpaw was half awake, her white fur with silver splotches was puffed out from the cold. Coldpaw's light brown eyes were half shut as she tried to stay standing. Heartpaw's light brown tabby fur was shining from the sun's rays hitting it. Heartpaw's ginger paws and black tail contrasted greatly against the frozen stone floor. Duskkit shrugged a she looked into Heartpaw's amber and brown eye.  
"Why are you two up so early?" Duskkit asked.  
"We were suppose to be on dawn patrol but it seems that Hollowwind isn't even awake to lead it," Coldpaw explained and then yawned again.  
"So, why up so early Duskkit?" Heartpaw asked again.  
"Today is when I'm made an apprentice," Duskkit said proudly.  
"That's great Duskkit! You will be joining us in the apprentice den from now on," Heartpaw happily said.  
"At least now it won't be so empty with Goldpaw leaving," Coldpaw said. Duskkit thought he saw a trace of sorrow in Heartpaw's eyes but when he looked at them again he saw only happiness radiating from them.  
"Duskkit!"  
Duskkit looked towards the nursery where the shout had come from. In front of the nursery, Sapphirestream stood looking angry mixed with concern.  
Sapphirestream started padding towards Duskkit rapidly, Tulipkit following her as she always did. Sapphirestream's beautiful silver fur shined as one of the rays of light illuminated her. Her black paws touched the stone floor soundlessy and her white legs looked like a blurr as she walked.  
"Are you going to stay there chatting like elders all day?" Sapphirestream asked, her amber eyes glaring at him.  
"No," Duskkit shook his head. Sapphirestream lifted Duskkit by the scruff and returned to the nursey.  
Inside the solid walls of the nursery cave, Bluekit was waiting for him, along with his other brothers and sister. Although Duskkit knew that Bluekit was his only true sister, her still felt a brotherly and sisterly bond with Sapphirestream's kits. Duskkit noticed that Bluekit's black pelt was amazingly clean. Sapphirestream dropped Duskkit onto the mosscovered floor.  
"Now, it's your turn," she said and started cleaning him.  
"You look funny,' Bluekit laughed at his face, her brown eyes twinkling.  
"That's a mean thing to say," Creamkit said in a gentle voice. Creamkit sat still careful not to mess up her smoothly arrange light silver fur, but her black tailtip quivered a bit. Duskkit's quiet brother, Thornkit, just watch the conversation hoping for some conflict.  
"You're becoming a medicine cat apprentice right, Creamkit?" Bluekit said, obviously trying to change the subject.  
Creamkit nodded her light silver head. her dark blue eyes stared at Duskkit as if pleading for approval of her choice. Duskkit flinched a little from the intensity of Creamkit's eyes. He never had much of an interest in herbs or paid much attention to them.  
"I guess that's pretty cool," Duskkit muttered the same time Sapphirestream finished cleaning him.  
"Now, you look much more presentable," she purred.  
"It doesn't matter on how you look, as long as you can fight," Hazelkit said, puffing out his gray chest.  
"True to that," Duskkit batted his favorite brotehr.  
"It's better to go in front of the Clan clean than filthy," Sapphirestream countered.  
Duskkit rolled his eyes at his false mother's comment. He wondered why she had taken Duskkit and Bluekit in when they were found near the IceClan border, and if he would ever meet his real mother. Sapphirestream stood still for a moment and pricked up her ears. Duskkit did the same.  
"....gather beneath...." Shadestar's voice was faintly heard through the nursery walls.  
Sapphirestream's eyes widened and she rushed the six kits out of the nursery. The whole clan was already gathered at the bottom of Stonepile, many sleepy. Duskkit saw Coldpaw and Heartpaw and guessed that dawn patrol had been postponed.  
"I apologize for the early awakening, but today is a proud day for IceClan, Shadestar proclaimed. Duskkit saw Goldpaw near the calico leader. His mentor, a light yellow she-cat with ginger tabby markings, sat next to him proudly. Duskkit saw, as he moved towards the leader, that Goldpaw had groomed his light brown fur perfectly. Shadestar began the warrior ceremony as Goldpaw stepped foreward.  
"I, Shadestar of IceClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I comend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Goldpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code to protect and defend your clan even at the cost of your life?" Shadestar clearly cited the begining of the ceremony.  
"I do," Goldpaw replied.  
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name, Goldpaw from this moment on you will be known as Goldpelt. StarClan honors your courage and determination and we welcome you as a full warrior of IceClan." Shadestar finished and rested her muzzle on Goldpelt's head. Goldpelt licked Shadestar's shoulder with respect.  
"Goldpelt! Goldpelt!" IceClan members chanted with his mentor, Groundfall, the loudest.  
"Now there is one more ceremony to take place and add new ranks to our numbers," Shadestar said after Goldpelt jumped off Stonepile. Sapphirestream pushed her kits and Duskkit and his sister to Stonepile.  
"Tulipkit, Thornkit, Hazelkit, creamkit, Bluekit, and Duskkit please come up. This is a fine day for IceClan, by naming apprentices we show IceClan will survive and remain strong." Duskkit puffed out his chest in pride.  
"It is time to add six apprentices to the clan. Tulipkit, Thornkit, Hazelkit, Bluekit, and Duskkit, from this day until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Tulippaw, Thornpaw, Hazelpaw, Bluepaw, and Duskpaw. i ask StarClan to watch over and guide you until you find the paws, strength, and courage of a warrior. Silentshadow to Hazelpaw, Riverlegs to Tulippaw, Nightsky to Duskpaw, Hailflower to Bluepaw, and Yellowpelt to Thornpaw, you will be mentors to these apprentices and I hope you will pass this knowledge to your new apprentice."  
After Hazelpaw and Tulippaw touched noses with Silentshadow and Riverlegs, Duskpaw touched noses to Nightsky and waited for his sister and Thornpaw to finish.  
"Hazelpaw, Tulippaw, Duskpaw, Thornpaw, Bluepaw!" The IceClan cats chanted.  
"Now, Creamkit has chosen the path of a medicine cat," Shadestar said after the chanting quieted down. Hayclaw, the medicine cat climbed up to Stonepile.  
"Cats of IceClan as you know I will not be around forever. So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat willing to learn the herbs and dreams of becoming a good medicine cat. Your next medicine cat is Creampaw." Hayclaw said.  
"Creampaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Hayclaw?" Shadestar asked Creampaw.  
"Yes, Shadestar," Creampaw replied.  
"Then as half-moon you must travel to Stargate, to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats." Hayclaw explained.  
"The good wishes of all Iceclan will go with you" Shadestar said. Hayclaw then touched noses with Creampaw. The IceClan chanted Creampaw's name with the same enthusiam as they had throughout the ceremonies. After Creampaw had finished being congratulated, Duskpaw headed towards Nightsky. The black tom with tiny white spots and brown eyes was crowded by happy warriors that congratulated him for getting an apprentice. Duskpaw managed to get through the small crowd and sit next to his mentor, waiting for the tom to take notice of him. Eventually the crowd of warriors thinned out, remembering their duties for the day, and Nightsky looked at Duskpaw.  
"We will start your training tomorrow," was all the tom said to his apprentice for the day and then left Duskpaw alone.


	4. Chapter 2

Duskpaw sniffed the RuneClan border, following the instructions that Nightsky had given him before being called to the leader's den. RuneClan was bordered with IceClan by the river that trailed from the mountains from IceClan that continued onto RuneClan's territory. The rest of RuneClan territory was blocked by a thick border of green trees and boulders.

It was different that IceClan's territory. The camp was set in a valley in the side of the mountain, with many caves to use and provide shelter. Most of IceClan's territory was mountain but a thin forest of varies trees sat at the mountain base and continued on until it reached FlowerClan's territory.

He had already scented and seen FlowerClan's border. The mountains in the IceClan territory had also continued onto the FlowerClan prairies and had shrunk as the rocks approached the thick forest. Inhaling the unfamiliar scents of a different Clan and its cats, Duskpaw thought about his apprenticeship. Duskpaw didn't like being alone on the first day of his apprenticeship. He sat on the IceClan's side of the border unconsciously, thinking about his mentor.

'I shouldn't be alone here. This is what a mentor should do to an apprentice on their first day; otherwise there would be no need of a mentor.' Duskpaw thought, oblivious of the ruffling noises of the bushes on the other side of the border. 'He hasn't been too friendly either. Does he dislike me? But I haven't done anything to anger him… have I? Or, does he know?'

Duskpaw though of the day before, the day he had been made apprentice. His 'brothers and sisters' had traveled the territory while Nightsky had been teaching him the way of the apprentice.

' "An apprentice must not question their mentor's judgments. The mentor is to teach the apprentice and the apprentice is to be ready to learn," Nightsky lectured.

"So why don't we go out into the territory and you can teach me to hunt or we explore the territory," Duskpaw replied. Nightsky sighed.

"Anticipation is bad. Just going out and learning without knowing a bit of knowledge about it?" Nightsky sarcastically asked. "That's a suicide. Does a cat go into battle without knowing how to battle? No. First the cat must learn the moves in order to properly execute them."

"Then, how to I learn the moves?" Duskpaw asked.

"By listening, and observing," Nightsky answered. Duskpaw saw Coldpaw walk behind Nightsky and give him a sympathetic gaze.

''Great. I got a lecturing mentor. I didn't think young cats that acted like elders existed' Duskpaw had thought. The whole day Nightsky had lectured Duskpaw on the history of the Clans. Duskpaw fell asleep halfway as his mentor had gone on and on and on about the Clan names, and the leaders before the current.'

Shadows stretched onto the ground, unusual shadows belonging to cats, as Duskpaw thought yesterday over. Eyes, brown and green, peered from behind the veil of green shrub. A golden brown tom and a white she-cat with dapples of brown and black emerged from the bush silently. Duskpaw looked at them with glazed eyes. He focused on the cats in front of him and scrambled up from his sitting position, trying to run back to camp.

'Fox dung! Why today? I haven't even gotten any battle training,' he thought breaking into a run. 'I can't win against two warriors!'

"Quick! Before he calls any others!" the white she-cat ordered. The golden brown tom dashed towards the apprentice, a gold flash, appearing next to Duskpaw. The tom tackled Duskpaw to the ground with much force, causing the tom to fall to the ground as well. The white she-cat looked at the two collapsed cats. Duskpaw scrambled up but was caught and held down by the tail by the white she-cat.

Duskpaw tried scratching her leg or at least try to move it from his tail. His tiny claws hit the skin and broke through it but not deep enough to break blood. The white she-cat flinched back a bit, but enough for Duskpaw's tail to be released from the white she-cat's grip. The golden tom tackled Duskpaw as he ran, the two toms rolling. Duskpaw lost consciousness as his head hit the ground with added pressure from the tom laying on his head.

"Get up Thistleclaw!" she hissed, ears flattened against her head with haunches raised. The golden tom scrambled up, glaring at the she-cat in silence.

"What do we do with the young one?" he asked. The dappled white she-cat looked at Duskpaw with her green eyes. The she-cat sniffed Duskpaw and drew back a bit surprised.

"He doesn't smell like IceClan," she told her clan mate. "He smells different from them. A certain fragrant that I can't describe."

"You're wasting time. Should we take him back or not?" Thistleclaw hissed. The dappled she-cat nodded, turning to bolt into familiar territory of the sandy and rocky desert. "Wait!" The she-cat turned back. "You carry him back, Dappledwind. I already put some energy into this mission."

"Fine" Dappledwind mumbled. Reluctantly Dappledwind picked Duskpaw up by the scruff and followed her clan mate, careful of the hazy brown apprentice in her jaws.

'Why, he's no more than a kit.' Dappledwind thought. "Maybe a moon older or two. So light, such a nice odor....'


	5. Chapter 3

Duskpaw awoke on a soft sandy ground. Blinking to clear his vision, he saw that he wasn't in IceClan territory.

'Or maybe I am since I haven't seen all the clan area and no clan with such a sandy territory.' Looking around, Duskpaw analyzed that he was in a rock cave.

'Not a very deep one.' He thought looking at the end and the entrance. Duskpaw stood up quickly, a shooting pain coming across his head as soon as he did. Duskpaw bit back a yowl. He tried standing up slower, exerting less pain in his head.

'Must have bashed my head against the ground when I was tackled…" Duskpaw's amber eyes widened as he remembered his unfortunate encounter with the RuneClan warriors. 'So does that mean I'm in RuneClan camp? Why is their terrain so sandy? It's very different from our mountains.'

"Oh! You're awake!" a voice interrupted Duskpaw's thoughts. Duskpaw turned to see the cat that had spoken. The she-cat that had spoken was a tortoiseshell blocking the entrance. She neared Duskpaw confidently, her two front white paws silently touching the ground as her bright amber eyes held their gaze on Duskpaw.

'A RuneClan cat,' Duskpaw thought, a bit ashamed that he was excited about meeting another cat from a different clan even under his circumstances. The she-cat stared at Duskpaw once she stood before him, easily within clawing distance. Duskpaw thought about attacking the small she-cat but went against it.

'If I were to attack her, surely more cats, warriors, would come and whip my as-,'

"Hey! What's your name?" the she-cat interrupted his thoughts.

"Why should I tell you thief?" Duskpaw hissed without thinking. The tortoiseshell flinched back.

"Thief? I'm no thief, nor is anyone in our clan one. You must be mistaken with FlowerClan," she replied.

"Sure! Of course I did," Duskpaw hissed sarcastically. "And a golden brown tom and white she-cat with black and brown dapples didn't ambush me and bring me here."

"You know. You're very rude," the tortoiseshell replied to him with a straight face, as if she hadn't heard a thing he had said.

"And you're clan is dishonest," Duskpaw told her.

"We weren't the ones to take you by force. In fact, we were requested to 'catnap' you," the she-cat replied calmly. Duskpaw froze, shocked.

"You're lying," he muttered. The tortoiseshell shook her head. Duskpaw didn't believe what the she-cat had told him.

"I'm telling you the truth and although I haven't been told much, you will be told in time," she said. "Umm… I'm Shallowpaw, by the way."

"What am I going to do here?" Duskpaw asked. Shallowpaw gave him a puzzled look.

"What? Well, you do normal apprentice chores. You're part of RuneClan now," she replied.

"I-I don't understand you," Duskpaw said. Shallowpaw sighed.

"I guess it would be best to meet Rainstar now, instead of later." Shallowpaw muttered. "C'mon. Follow me, and ignore any possible hostility you may get."

Duskpaw didn't know whether to trust the she-cat, or to be cautious of her. He followed her, deciding that the tour might lead for a chance to escape. He didn't believe that one of his clan mates had told RuneClan to make him a part of it. Shallowpaw seemed to be wary of him to by occasionally looking back at him to make sure he was still with her.

"These are the apprentice's den," she showed first. Duskpaw looked at the gaping hole in the rock. Moss aligned the edges, blocking wind from passing into the sides of the cave. Duskpaw saw many nests built inside, most empty but a few occupied by a gray she-cat with black stripes and brown tom with darker splotches.

"Will I meet them?" Duskpaw asked.

"No," Shallowpaw replied. "Not now, but for the future, that's my brother Lakepaw and my sister Oceanpaw."

"Lakepaw and Oceanpaw," Duskpaw repeated. He looked over at Shallowpaw, but had lost sight of her. Duskpaw saw that she had moved to his right towards other caves. Duskpaw ran after the tortoiseshell she-cat in fear of being questioned or imprisoned again by another cat, forgetting about any chance of escape. As they walked around the camp, Duskpaw saw many RuneClan cats.

'And I thought that IceClan had the best warriors,' he thought looking at a ginger tom with white legs and greens eyes bare his teeth in a yawn. 'I hope I never get to fight these cats.'

Shallowpaw showed him the elder's den, a cave also but it was covered mostly by rocks with only a slight opening on the side for a cat to get through. The nursery had no opening; instead there was a hole that Shallowpaw said the cat had to dig to get through. The warrior's den was similar to the apprentice's den but with a smaller opening.

"Well, that's pretty much our whole camp but the leader's den, the medicine cat's den and the Boulder where the leader makes an announcement." Shallowpaw said.

"Shallowpaw!" a dark gray tom with amber eyes and darker gray paws called out. The tom padded over to Shallowpaw, giving a glare at Duskpaw.

"What are you doing with him?" the tom hissed at Duskpaw.

"I'm showing him around the camp." Shallowpaw replied calmly.

"Why? I don't think that Rainstar asked you to, or did he?" the tom glared at Duskpaw.

"No, but he's part of our clan now so I think he should know our camp." Shallowpaw answered. "You want to help Stormpaw?"

"No. I'm not going to stick up for you when Rainstar chews your tail off." the tom said.

"He won't." Shallowpaw seemed sure of herself.

"How do you know?" Stormpaw looked at her with a bit of concern. Shallowpaw fidgeted a bit, looking at her paws.

"I just know he won't." she replied. Stormpaw sighed and shook his head, with one last glare at Duskpaw he left.

"And you called me rude," Duskpaw said. Shallowpaw chuckled at his comment

"I'm curious." She stated. "Do you have any battle training?"

Duskpaw shook his head. "Today was my first, or second, day of apprenticeship."

"Oh. That's bad. Why you're no more than a kit." Shallowpaw said. She looked at the sky for a moment, thinking. "Rainstar should be ready by now. Let's go to meet him and get you officially acquaintanced with RuneClan." Shallowpaw started leading to a slanted boulder with a gap at the top.

"I suppose we have to climb that?" he asked looking at the loose pebbles leading to the top.

"Yep! Let's get started." Shallowpaw said and jumped onto the boulder.


	6. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Duskpaw lifted himself into the gap and layed panting for a while. Shallowpaw watched him as he rested from the climb to the leader's den. Duskpaw sat up and looked around the leader's den. The den was average sized with a moss nest at the end. The wall's rock formation seemed like ripples of a lake leading to a slightly visible hole in the floor disguised by shadows.

'What is that used for? Where does it go?' Duskpaw thought.

Duskpaw's amber eyes landed onto the four cats in the shadows of the den, near the nest. Shallowpaw stepped forward and without hesitation dipped her head to the big blue-gray tom with white and silver splotches and black spots over his body, then looked at Duskpaw and motioned for him to do the same. Duskpaw mimicked Shallowpaw's action and waited. The blue gray tom got up and walked towards Duskpaw and around him, inspecting the young brown tom with blue eyes scanning up and down. The tom stopped circling Duskpaw and then nodded.

"Welcome Duskpaw." He said in a gentle tone.

"Er…thank you?" Duskpaw replied not sure.

"Allow me to introduce myself." He said. "I am Rainstar, leader of RuneClan. The white she-cat with silver specks is the deputy of this clan, Featherwing. The white tom with the light cream colored flanks is our medicine cat Shellrise and the pale she-cat is his apprentice, Lightpaw."

"Welcome," Shellrise and Featherwing said.

"Hello" Lightpaw greeted. Duskpaw nodded his head at the three cats then focused his gaze on Rainstar.

"Rainstar is it true that…. That I was requested to-"Duskpaw stopped, not believing that one of his Clanmates would actually ask for a catnapping.

"Ah! So you've heard from Shallowpaw. She is a kind and energetic apprentice but too talkative and social for her own good." Rainstar sighed.

"Sooo sorry," Shallowpaw said sarcastically.

"Now why did you bring Duskpaw here Shallowpaw? I told no one to speak with him, nevertheless, bring him here." Rainstar calmly said.

"I thought that you would want to talk with him before the clan started to get noisy about him," Shallowpaw replied.

"Good guess, but you should not have taken action without word from me nevertheless back to Duskpaw's question. Sadly, maybe for you, Duskpaw you were indeed requested to be taken into our clan." Rainstar answered. Duskpaw was shocked at his words. He had believed Shallowpaw's words but he had hoped that it had been a lie, a hoax.

"Who?" Duskpaw asked.

"Hmm?"

"Who was it that wanted me away from IceClan!" Duskpaw shouted, feeling betrayed. He knew that he was an orphan, no one knowing who was his real mother or father, but the whole Clan hadn't shunned him for it, most not even knowing about his situation. Duskpaw thought that he was part of IceClan, accepted and with friends.

"They did not want to have you gone." Lightpaw said. The pale cream she-cat stepped towards him until she was in front. Her green eyes looked deeply into Duskpaw's amber ones. "She said that it was for the best."

"How can it be for the best without telling me?" Duskpaw said in an icy tone.

"She has the sight. Unclear but nevertheless, the sight." Lightpaw said, then returned to her mentor's side without a word.

"What's the sight?" Duskpaw asked Rainstar. Rainstar moved his blue eyes towards Shallowpaw.

"Would you care to explain?" he asked her.

"I suppose I would be the best to explain." Shallowpaw answered. "The sight differs. I have it, and I noticed you have it. Don't interrupt me now. My version of the sight is to 'see' auras. Your aura changes with your emotions and level of stress. I can also detect others that have this special ability since their aura is a bit different….multi colored."

"The cat that came here said that she couldn't 'see' the outcome, but just knew that the result would be good." Shallowpaw continued. "Should I tell him of the decision you made Rainstar?"

"No. Not now, he'll be told in time." Rainstar replied. "Thank you for that explanation Shallowpaw." Rainstar's blue eyes looked back to Duskpaw. "Is there anything else you wish to know?"

"What will happen to me?" Duskpaw asked a bit surprised at Shallowpaw's declaration of having a special power.

"You are one of our apprentices now. You will be mentored just like any other apprentice and become a warrior of RuneClan." Rainstar replied. "Featherwing choose. Firelight, Shadowwind, or Spottedpelt."

"I would suggest Firelight. He should be able to make Duskpaw feel comfortable with his optimistism." The white she-cat replied.

"Firelight it is." Rainstar said. "Duskpaw, later I will officially make a ceremony naming you one of our clan cats and with a mentor, but for now could you please go off and distract yourself with the other apprentices?"

Duskpaw nodded slowly, the shock of joining another clan still in his mind.

"Good. Featherwing could you get Firelight, and Shellrise you may leave." Rainstar ordered.

"C'mon." Shallowpaw whispered. Duskpaw started to follow her, but watched as Shellrise and Lightpaw disappeared in the shielded hole.

'That must lead to the medicine cat's den,' Duskpaw thought. Featherwing passed Duskpaw and hopped down the slanted boulder, pebbles falling as the deputy jumped from place to place.

"Do we have to do that?" Duskpaw asked.

"Let's get started," Shallowpaw replied and started jumping just as Featherwing had. Duskpaw groaned and slowly tested the pebbles in front of him. Each step increased Duskpaw's level of fear. Duskpaw heard Shallowpaw laugh ahead of him and quickened his pace in humiliation. Duskpaw almost tumbled as a pebble gave in to his weight but he jumped before falling and landed on the ground rather roughly.

'Ow!' Duskpaw yelped in his thoughts. 'My pads hurt.'

"Whoa! That was amazing! I've never seen a cat jump from the middle of the pile of pebbles to the ground but Rainstar!" Shallowpaw exclaimed. Duskpaw blushed underneath his fur. Duskpaw tried to look somewhere else but at Shallowpaw and realized that some of the Runeclan cats were staring at him making Duskpaw blush even more.

"Let's go." Duskpaw said.

"Okay," Shallowpaw replied rather happily. Duskpaw followed the tortoiseshell apprentice to the boulder where the apprentice dens where located. Oceanpaw was stretching when Duskpaw and Shallowpaw got there. Oceanpaw glanced at Duskpaw for a moment with her vivid green eyes the bounded over to the two.

"I don't suppose you know the whereabouts of my mentor." Oceanpaw asked Shallowpaw in a drowsy uncaring voice. Shallowpaw shook her head making Oceanpaw sigh. "Well, I guess I could go hunting for some lizards or maybe get an owl." Oceanpaw chuckled to herself. "Well, see you little sister and stranger." Oceanpaw said moving to the exit of the camp.

"Lizards? Owls?" Duskpaw looked at Shallowpaw questionably.

"Those are territorial prey. Lizards, snakes, hares, mice sometimes but they live in the ground, sparrows, and if we're lucky owls." Shallowpaw listed. "Also, some prey from the other territory may wander here and we get to enjoy the delicious taste of different food." Duskpaw looked at Shallowpaw and laughed to himself at how she seemed to be dreaming of food.

"Shallowpaw!" a beautiful silver tabby with a white chest called out. The tabby strode over to the apprentice. "What are you doing? I've been waiting for you to start your battle traini-who's this? Is this the IceClan cat?"

"Yes Risingmoon. I was attending him and trying to make him feel welcome. It's quite hard to be in a new clan alone, you know?" Shallowpaw replied.

"Well…I suppose I can let you have the rest of the afternoon to show him around, but at dusk be ready to hunt." Risingmoon told her apprentice.

"Yes Risingmoon," Shallowpaw dipped her head in respect. Duskpaw watched Shallowpaw's amber eyes as they brightened up. Shallowpaw opened her maw before Risingmoon was out of hearing range "Risingmoon?"

"Yes?" the beautiful warrioir turned.

"Could we bring Duskpaw? Possibly get him used to our territory?" Shallowpaw asked. The silver tabby glanced at Duskpaw with her brown eyes then looked back at Shallowpaw.

"I think that would be best for him." Risingmoon agreed.

"Thank you Risingmoon," Shallowpaw turned to Duskpaw and motioned for him to dip his head. Duskpaw bowed to the warrior, unsure why Shallowpaw would ask to take him with her so soon. Risingmoon walked away to talk with some warriors and Shallowpaw swatted Duskpaw's ear playfully.

"C'mon! Let's go play in the meantime." Shallowpaw proclaimed. Duskpaw looked at her, confused.

"What is there to play? Maybe you haven't realized Shallowpaw but I'm not one of you. I don't know anything of anything around here." Duskpaw projected his thoughts.

"So? Today, this is your home. And soon everyone will know you as a friend and you to them, but we need to start somewhere." Shallowpaw replied. Duskpaw realized that there was truth to her words. He looked at the tortoiseshell apprentice.

"What are we going to play?"

4


End file.
